What's Happening

Skills House

Behind the spa renovation, Anson Street School’s exciting new space is hiding – and in Term 3 we will be ready to open the Skills House! The Skills House will be a simulation space and customised program to develop functional living skills in order to equip our students to live more independent and fulfilling lives. While we wait for our sparkly new space, the four focus programs for Term 2 will be Barista, HomeZone, The Retreat and Work Placement. 

The Barista team works together on Tuesday and Thursday to make coffees, hot chocolates and chai for staff and visitors to the school – up to 35 orders in 40 minutes! Barista breaks up the coffee making process into discrete skills for students to learn such as labelling lids, tallying milk types and numbers of orders, heating and frothing milk, grinding beans, making espresso and delivering coffees using their customer service skills. 

HomeZone is a place to learn domestic life skills to live independently and with friends. Mrs Toot Keegan will be teaching students key functional living skills for the home such as sweeping, mopping, washing, drying and folding clothes, ironing, and making beds. The Skills House will be equipped with a washer, dryer, linen press, bed suite and dining table. 

The Retreat focuses on developing student’s personal care, hygiene, presentation and self-esteem starting with hand care and hair care.  Ms Krissie-Lee Cartwright will support senior students to offer salon services to younger students who have earned some time and treatments in the Retreat. A generous donation from Charles Sturt University allowed us to purchase a deluxe, wheelchair accessible hair basin and reclining chair for maximum salon comfort.

Ms Krissie-Lee, Toot and Mrs Edwina Brennan,  will be commencing pilot programs in term 2. Mr Geoff Pierce and Mrs Vicki Gascoyne, Job Coaches will continue their work supporting students into work placement throughout the term. The Skills House committee lead by Ms Jodie Pritchard and class staff look forward to introducing students to The Skills House in Term 3. 

Skills House committee